Caro Transmutata Metallo
by Foxbear
Summary: Jazz; rumored to be the most dangerous of the Autobots, friendliest most cheerful mech you will ever meet,his name spoken in hushed whispers by friend and foe alike. Captured and separated from his unit he plays a dangerous mind game with a shadowy Decepticon rumored to rival Megatron in ambition and cruelty.
1. Smile for the Camera

_**Transmutatione Metallica**__**Chapter 1**_

**A Transformers Prime Fanfiction**

**::Warnings:: Eventual Torture**

"The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times."  
― Paulo Coelho, _Alchemist_

Cold deadmetal walls caught the sound of mech's dragging peds and echoed it back at him mockingly from the uncountable scars and gouges in the dark material. Shoulder guards slumped from exhaustion and were thrust up from the grips of the black servos that half carried-half dragged the limp form down the darkened hallway. Gleaming purple and grey armor reflected the few lights that still functioned and the sharp lined faction badges seemed to actively swallow the photons that touched them. Red optic bands stared impassively ahead. Between them what had once been silver and blue armor clung brokenly to the frame of the smaller Cybertronian. Blue energon seeped out from innumerable cracks and lacerations.

The guards stopped in front of the one door in sight that was fully lit and reinforced. Without a word they keyed in separate sequences on activation pads on opposite sides of the portal. Smoothly the aperture opened revealing blackness beyond. Swiftly they tossed the prisoner into the cell and stepped back. The small mech landed sprawled on his chestplates. Seeing this one of the Decepticons leaned forward and sneered.

"Is this really the terror of the Autobot forces? I had heard such great things about you mech. Somehow I expected something more-"

As he spoke the battered helm rose and turned with great effort to face the standing Cons. Audial fins rotated marginally and the cracked visor flickered. Then the leaking lip-plates twitched and smiled. Instantly the Vehicon off-lined his vocalizer and jerked back. The door snapped shut and both guard staggered back from the cell.

"Brilliant," the second muttered sending scorn filled glyphs to his frame brother.

"I didn't see you say anything," snarled the talkative one. "At least I'm not too afraid to speak in the presence of one Autobot too badly damaged to move."

The other mech gave a short exvent before turning to leave.

"Good thing you're so brave then Slice," he shot over his shoulder as he left. "Seeing how you have first shift watching him down here alone."

"Wait Crank," the bolder mech called out. "Isn't Alchem supposed to be taking over the interrogation of the prisoners immediately? He should be down here to deal with that," he waved his servos vaguely at the sealed door to indicate everything 'that' entailed.

The other turned and shifted his plating in agitation.

"Lord Alchem," he hissed emphasizing the title, "has sequestered himself with Commander Shockwave for the time being."

Silence fell in the corridor and the space suddenly seemed far more confining.

"I see," the visibly shaken mech whispered.

"And because we are short staffed you get a double shift right off," Crank muttered as he backed slowly away from the occupied cell.

For as long as his frame brother was in sight Slice stood loosely in front of the door but once the corridor was clear he shifted nervously to the side and then backed up against the far wall optic band locked on the cell. As the shift wore on the only thing that he was able to focus on was the strange smug smile on the battered Autobot's faceplates.


	2. Glyph

**Transmutatione Carna Metallica 2**

**A Transformers Prime Fanfiction**

"That was a remarkably unintelligent course of action," stated a scuffed and dirty blue mini-bot with hints of amusement and exasperation warring in her voice.

Exasperation because her chassis guard had once again gotten himself nearly deactivated over a triviality and amusement because the way he was sprawled across the cell floor across from her was really quite comical. The dark chambers held one berth each and would have been cramped to the point of claustrophobia for a standard framed mech but the smaller mech and femme easily had room to stretch out in the dim light of the energy bars. Glyph scooted up onto the hard surface and leaned her helm on her fist, resting her arm on one leg, and smiling down at her friend. Tap-Out snarled and staggered to his peds but followed suit. The two mini-bots stared at each other through the flickering containment bars until the green mech started laughing.

"Well, at least we are off of that, how was it you put it so often, organic pit ball," Glyph offered gold optic band twitching in amusement at the misstatement.

"Not the improvement I was looking for when we finally got the ship fixed enough to leave," her companion snorted. "Why'd they leave us together you think?"

"Energon conservation," she answered immediately running her servos over the walls of the deteriorating cell. "These blocks are powered in groups of three so it is logical to only use one unit while keeping us as far as possible from each other."

The green warrior growled at that and settled down in a belligerent pose as close to his charge as the humming and snapping energy grid would allow. Glyph smiled at the action. Tap-Out took his duties very seriously even if his professional objectivity had been compromised by their friendship. Her optic band wandered worriedly over his dented and battered frame. Those abrasions would become infected soon even if it was only from the left over silicate pathogens from the world they had just escaped. She could only hope that the commander and his second were in better shape.

"Quit worrying!"

The abrupt command caught the scientist off guard and her band flickered.

"Look! We've survived worse," Tap-Out let out a long ex-vent and smiled over at her. "There is nothing to be worried about."

"Then why did you feel obligated to challenge a Decepticon five times your gross mass to personal combat?"

"Didn't like the way he was looking at you," the warrior muttered glancing away from her patient gaze.

The femme trilled gratefully and held her hand out to the mech through the bars. Across the isle Tap-Out mimicked the gesture and their servos closed on empty air.

"As you can see the run was quite successful," Starscream stated the obvious loudly and clearly as the vain Seeker sauntered into the laboratory.

"As your report stated," Shockwave acknowledged without lifting his single optic from the readouts. "All objectives accomplished with a minimal expenditure of energy."

Caught off guard by the complete agreement the Decepticon paused and shuttered his optics rapidly at the wide segmented back wings flickering in confusion.

"Yes, well," Starscream sought to collect his thoughts as he approached the large capsule that was the central point of the chamber resetting his wings to their usual proud angle.

Lined along the walls were the remains of previous stages of the experiment; small cages, sterilized equipment that had once dripped with organic slime, the gleaming transparent cylinder that had been the scene of their greatest achievement since the two Decepticons had put aside their differences to achieve vengeance, and several remains of reinforced medical berths that had borne the brunt of the inevitable failures that good science always produced. Now they all lay cold and offline; of no further use but components too valuable to discard.

"It was no easy feat to capture the Autobots," the mech continued, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the other was pointedly ignoring him. "I will have you know that in addition to a high ranking archaeometrist and her troublesome bodyguard, both the second and third in command of the overall Autobot forces now rest in secure cells!"

"As your report stated."

"Yes, yes, but there are so many details that those clinical reports leave out. For instance how easy it was for me to subdue the Autobot Jazz," Starscream paused to let that sink in, his field crackling with smug awareness. "Even when he was backed up by the most brilliant processor that the Autobots can field."

The flyer waited expectantly and slowly wilted as the stoic mech steadily ignored him. With an exasperated ex-vent he sauntered over to pull up a readout. Shockwave noted with approval that the Seeker was making himself useful. As annoying as the dominance displays were the scientist had grudgingly accepted them as necessary. Starscream did not have Megatron's charisma and power to motivate the masses through his words alone, but his natural tendencies to establish and keep his place in any given hierarchy had given the smaller mech a set of skills over the eons that were a mystery to the emotionless scientist. Now those skills were the only thing keeping the few Decepticons they had managed to gather loyal.

"And how is our good lord progressing Shockwave?" eagerness flickered in the Seeker's wings even as he pressed glyphs requesting efficient data against the scientist.

"Lord Alchem will be ready to begin the interrogation of the prisoners shortly," the larger mech replied with data bursts detailing time and what the two had been working on in the other's absence.

"Excellent," purred the once second in command of the Decepticon forces as he eagerly ran his servos over the dark pod.

A signal from outside of the lab caught the Seeker's attention and he gave a tired ex-vent before setting his arms akimbo and shaking his helm.

"It looks like the incompetence of our assistance must once again be remedied. Keep up the good work Shockwave, and do free up you assistant," his faceplates smirked at the word, "soon. I cannot wait to once again lay optics on our glorious lord Megatron's heir."

"He will be ready to resume duties as soon as the present memory files are properly defragmented."

"Excellent, as much use as he is to you for the good of the cause we cannot have the troops questioning his existence now can we?"

"That would be counterproductive."

Satisfied with the agreement of the emotionless mech Starscream sauntered out of the lab leaving only the clicking of Shockwaves servos behind him. He glanced over and nodded regally at a lower ranked Seeker who was examining the consul beside the lab critically. The paneling was open and it appeared that more than half of the innards were spilled out over the corridor deck plating.

"Shard," Starscream stated in surprise, "I did not realize that you were mechanically inclined."

"Commander Starscream," the other flyer flicked his wings submissively, before letting them rise to the highest position that his lower rank allowed. "We must all take on many duties we were not originally programmed for in these times. Just as you yourself have risen to the challenge of leading the Decepticons," the ebony plating flared slightly in admiration and ancient Vosian glyphs for leader and ruler pinged into the larger mech's processor.

"Indeed, we must all make sacrifices to see that our glorious leader's plans do not crumble into memory," preened the Seeker under the praise. "But do remember who I am. I was programmed to lead."

"Yes, my lord." ~humility/submission~

"Carry on Shard."

With that commander strolled gracefully down the corridor. As soon as his back was turned and the proud wings flicked dismissal the smaller flyer returned to his work. His red optic band flashed intently as his scared servos manipulated the wires. Once his superior disappeared around the corridor he glanced sharply after the figure and reached into the mess of wires pulling out a heavily modified spark scanner. Neither wings nor voice gave any indication of what the submissive mech thought of the readouts but he continued to glance at it while he worked on the repairs.

Given the rather poor state of maintenance as well as the signs of energon shortages he had observed since being roughly pulled from the ship and tossed unceremoniously into his cell the mech could conclude with reasonable certainty that his comrade would be contacting him shortly. It disturbed the tactician greatly that he was unable to put an exact percentage to that certainty but the small disc that clamped to the base of his helm effectively disrupted his computational ability. Nevertheless such poorly maintained security systems would pose no challenge for his comrade.

The cerebral blocker itself was worrisome. It was obviously newly made and clearly the handiwork of Shockwave. That it had been Starscream to capture them indicated they were now at the epicenter of Decepticon power; odd to say the least and making it even more difficult to run probable scenarios. The planet they had crashed on had been nowhere near any prominent enemy concentrations and their presence in the sector was only due to them following up a trace of signal that had hinted at a Cybertronian presence. That the second in command of the Decepticon forces as well as their head scientist were here indicated it should be near a hub of activity. Either he had been unaware for far longer than he thought or there had been a major reorganization in the Decepticon ranks.

Every time his processor circled back to this conclusion it reached out for his battle computer and barked sharply into the barrier that the blocker had thrown up around it. Eventually his deliberate hacks and the subliminal efforts of his numerous AIs would find the cracks in the barrier but for now he was content to wait until his comrade found a way to communicate. He shifted and leaned forward on his knees as his doorwings attempted to twitch in annoyance at the confined space; an easily controlled urge. Patience has won him through many such situations. It would serve him well here.


	3. Challenge

**Caro Transmutata Metallo ****3**

**A Transformers Prime Fanfiction**

The once silver mech slumped against the wall in his cell, blue visor dimly flickering. His energon reserves were dangerously low but that was a state he had lived in for so long now he had almost forgotten what it was like to run at full power. His servos lay palms up at his sides and one leg canted off at an odd angle. His self repair had stopped all but a few of the energon seepages but his cracked and torn plating was going to require extensive surgical repair. For any world he looked like a broken mech. But surface appearances rarely tell the whole truth of any situation.

The keen processor behind the dim visor, specially tuned and augmented to run on levels near impossible for most mechs, was humming along eagerly as it examined everything available to it in the confined space. The cell was by no means secure. Already he had spotted half a dozen ways he could escape, if he was anywhere near fully functional. The cerebral control disc had been surprisingly difficult to hack and disable but it was no concern now. It happily sent back regular pings to its creator that all was fine even as the imprisoned mech began worrying at the power relays in the wall behind him.

It took surprisingly little effort to hack the systems. Within moments he had access to the security monitor system and the most basic files. He noted the guard schedules and several viral AIs that prowled the system but all in all it was almost disturbingly easy. There was a patchwork feeling to the systems; the kind that came from a base long dead being brought online quickly and haphazardly. The energy patterns alone gave telling information. Only a fraction of the base was getting power. Blocks and patches routed the energy sparingly to the cells he was in and other sections, presumably crew quarters and control stations. There was however one section that was literally humming with power. A small complex of chambers that were drawing several hundred fold more possessing power and energon than the rest of the base combined.

The mech would have frowned at that if he had been letting his faceplates move. Everything he had seen so far screamed that this was Shockwave's hideout. Last he had heard the mech was on Cybertron; possibly the last Cybertronian there. Thrown together bases were not his style, but no doubt about it. The cold sadistic mech was running this show. The defenses around what had to be the scientist's lab were far and away superior to what guarded the rest of the base. Not something he wanted to try with his systems in this state so the mech decided to ignore them for the moment in favor of sifting rapidly through the general base files.

Suddenly he stopped cold. The ops mech carefully sifted back through the files, isolating the duty roster. A prickle of anticipation ran over his spark as he carefully unwove the pertinent data threads. It was a matter of klicks to find the matching security footage. He downloaded an image to his processor and pulled out of the system carefully. He noted absently that there had been a sudden decrease in the power drain from the lab but was paying little attention now the majority of his processor reeling from the sudden shift in priorities he had experienced.

The fractured image the security cameras had given him was burning into his permanent memory. Tall sweeping wings flared over shoulders almost too wide for a Seeker. Burning ember red optics with a broad center helmspike. Burnished silver armor plating, pushing the weight limit for a flyer. A few gold accents and ornamental etching over the hip joints, subtle but telling. Everything screamed Alpha Seeker. One of the ruling class of the long dead city state of Vos. By every measure a gorgeous mech, one who would capture the optic of any Cybertronian who he passed; even with that faint frown of displeasure creasing the smooth faceplates as he glared directly at the camera. Across one breast plate were crudely and deeply etched the glyphs for 'remember.'

'_Not what I expected_,' the ops mech mused to himself. '_Not at all what I expected_. _How did we miss finding ya' all this long war? But don't ya' worry mech. No way in the pit I am going to do anything but remember ya'._'

His thoughts began circling until he realized he was getting nowhere and quickly accessed the power grid in a cell on another level. He carefully pulsed the energy fields in the power couplings behind one wall and allowed a sense of satisfaction to form in his spark as he felt the return pulse. You could always count on Prowl. He tried the same thing in two other cells and got no response. The mech gave a mental shrug and passed on. The scientist and her chassis guard were fairly new to getting captured, both having led relatively sheltered existences during the war. They would figure it out in due time. Meanwhile he had managed to pass on his information to the tactician. Although if a fraction of the rumors were true they would all be much too aware of it all too soon. As if on cue the bars to his cell de-energized and a tall form stepped into the space that seemed suddenly too small.

Curiosity forced the mech's optics online and he considered the silent intruder. The Seeker was truly a fine specimen. Even the dull lighting of the cell gleamed off of his plating. His expressionless faceplates were only matched by the immobility of his high set wings. Neither gave the slightest hint of what he was thinking as he carefully studied the prisoner. Jazz waited for him to start the interrogation but the mech simply continued to stand there.

"So I figure ya' must be a busy mech," the saboteur finally prompted.

There was a slight flickering in the ruby optics but otherwise no reaction.

"Really it's kind of ya' to come all the way down here for a no-mech like me but I couldn't impose on your important schedule."

The same blank stare continued and Jazz fought the urge to shift uncomfortably. It was not that the mech made him afraid. There were many Decepticons who specialized in fear and the Autobot had dealt with most of them without a hitch. No, there was something indefinable about that quiet gaze. It felt as if the tall mech were looking right into his spark. Dismissing the thought the damaged bot continued. He wasn't sure how long the silent mech stood and stared at him without shifting a gear but that look was making the experienced Ops agent squirm.

"Must be hard getting good entertainment way out here. Not much in the way of sentient species to torture eh? Lord Alchem?"

If the Seeker was shocked at the mech knowing his designation he didn't show it but the jab did get a response. His ruby optics flickered and if possible his wings hitched up even higher. For a klick the Decepticon's attention abandoned his prisoner and shifted inward. The Autobot watched intently behind his visor and gave a soft hiss when the mech refocused. There was something new in his gaze now; recognition. Stepping carefully to avoid the dried energon and coolant on the floor the silent Decepticon came forward and knelt before the helpless Autobot. Jazz revved his engine threateningly only to have it sputter and cough from lack of energon.

'_Some big scary Spec Ops mech I am_,' he thought bitterly as he tried to regain some semblance of control.

The smaller mech cursed his weakness and tried to bring his hands up to fend off the approaching servos hoping to get at least a token act of defiance in. The long tapered servos paused by his face as if uncertain giving his an excellent look at the razor sharp tips. Jazz's own hands came up to grasp the Seeker's arm but his weakness meant he was merely clinging to the strong frame. Carefully, almost tenderly the first three servos cradled his helm while the last two played gently across his faceplates. Knowing what was coming the Autobot grinned fiercely.

"What's with the rookie move Lordy?" Jack gasped out voice dripping with distain on the last word.

With a twitch of his cabling Alchem drove his servo through a weakened portion of Jazz's face plating and carefully touched the cluster of sensors underneath. Stars exploded around the damaged mech's vision as the pain so close to his optic sensors shorted out his vision. The macabre gentle torture continued for longer than the Autobot expected. In his experience, whether the goal was getting information or simply getting kicks, a torturer would quickly move on from a method that was not getting any visible results. The Seeker however seemed content to linger over his careful probing.

Immediately Jazz began scanning for any viruses or physical plants that the other might be placing. He couldn't find any but with the way the poking was fragging his already damaged sensors there was little chance he would have caught even the most obvious trojan. Finally he felt something rupture after the probing servo and the hot sting of leaking energon added to his blindness. He tried to curse as his hands fell away and his processor finally shut down, unable to ignore the loss of life fluids any longer.

Pain was never the most pleasant companion to wake up with but it was useful sometimes. Jazz focused on the pain. It was sharp and fresh and localized. He wasn't being tortured, not exactly. This felt more like the times he had been injured in the field and whoever was closest had to perform emergency surgery without turning pain receptors off. At the moment someone was realigning the armor plating on his lower thigh and from the feel of it that someone had already repaired most of the damage to his frame and armor. The high pitched hiss of a line welder activated at the same time as a searing pain in his leg. Jazz was reasonably certain he hadn't reacted but he heard the mystery mech pause before continuing.

There was something odd about this mech's field. It was clear he was trying to keep his energy held tight to his frame but every time he touched the Autobot the warm field would leak through. There was some indefinable exotic quality to the presence. An energy that was both foreign and oddly, almost painfully familiar. It was as if Jazz was just on the edge of remembering where he had teaked this specific mech before but each time the servos pulled away it eluded him. With nothing better to do until he was repaired and wanting a distraction the mech let his processor chase down the elusive feeling. The only association it pulled up was odd, and old. Every time the servos brushed his plating the mech tasted highly processed energon and heard the pounding of music and the dull roar of a crowded room. A warm smile and all too innocent optics. McCadam's? Was this some mech he had met there once when hanging out with Orion? He began carefully sorting through the names and faces of the many bots he had met in that long lost place on a long dead world. Not perhaps particularly useful but it distracted from the welding.

The slow steady work was maddening. At least he had been offline when his struts had been reset in his leg. If this was torture it wasn't particularly creative but it had its own points. Time seemed to creep by without his internal chronometer functioning and the mech found himself wondering when the pit was this medic going to run out of places to weld and set? At least he was functioning at a higher level of energy. His readouts were still blocked but from how his processor was humming along now he would guess he had at least a quarter in his reserves. That was odd, usually a smart interrogator wouldn't let him run anywhere near those levels. This Alchem mech was either delegating his duties to stupid mechs or was himself a first class idiot. Neither scenario jived with what little the Ops mech knew about the shadowy character. Finally, with a sharp pain at the sole of his foot, the line welder cut off for the final time and he heard light graceful pedfalls moving away and the rustling that indicated tools being put away.

Jazz risked onlining his visor and it flickered briefly in shock. There was no doubt about it. The slow careful medical attention he had been receiving had come at the servos of none other than the dreaded Lord Alchem. The silver mech was standing near a low lever Seeker and from their body language they were busy conversing over their internal comms. With a mental shrug the Ops mech added his new impressions of the Decepticon to his rapidly growing list of things that didn't make a scrap of sense.

The Seekers finished their conversation and the smaller ebony and grey mech left the small medical bay. The tall silver Con walked back over to Jazz and rested a firm hand on his shoulder guard. Razor talons dug in just far enough to hurt but not enough to leave marks. A handful of intensely powerful glyphs pressed into the Autobot's awareness along with a warning flare of the mech's field.

~Do not harm. Subordinate. Repercussions.~

With that silent and cryptic warning Lord Alchem left the room. Jazz felt a shudder run through his systems, not from the threat but from the sudden wash of familiarity it carried with it. Immediately he began sifting through his processor. These spark level feelings were hard to fake with viruses or invasive programming but if Shockwave was running this base as he suspected than that put him in the servos of the one mech who could. Who knew if what he was feeling was real? A disturbing thought for a mech who ran on tank level instinct most of the time.

The smaller Seeker approached and began performing basic maintenance without comment; the old field pulled expertly tight to his frame, none of the annoying sensations. Jazz set his dentia grimly. This Lord Alchem was going to be a challenge.


	4. Testing

**Caro Transmutata Metallo ****3**

**A Transformers Prime Fanfiction**

"And after that the mech was never the same," Tap-Outs voice drifted idly across the corridor that separated their cells. "First Aid finally found him cold and grey in his quarters. Not a mark on him. Glyph?"

"Could you stop please?" a small voice whispered.

"Hey, it was your idea," the green mech stated in confusion as he glanced over at her.

The femme was curled up on the too large berth, arms wrapped around her legs, plating held tight to her frame.

"I think I now have more than enough information on Shockwave's habits to work with. There is," a shudder ran through her, "there is no reason for you to tell me more."

"Okay," the warrior mech gave a shake of his plating and lay back on his berth intertwining his servos behind his helm.

He had not really wanted to tell the sensitive scientist everything he knew about the Decepticons' head scientist but she had insisted; had said that it would help them frame their course of action. As he had suspected it had mainly frightened the sheltered femme. Still she shouldn't be shuddering like that. Projecting weakness in a Con brig was just a way to invite things to really be scared of.

"Speak of Unicron," Tap-Out muttered roughly pulling himself up into a crouch at approaching pedfals.

Two mechs were coming down the corridor talking softly. The warrior heard a few terms that only medics used and let a low growl build in his chassis. The terms Decepticon and medic were rarely spoken without the word sadist in there somewhere. Still he was almost shocked into silence by what or rather who came around the corner. The tall Seeker who was too large for the confined space was forced to angle his wings awkwardly to fit the low ceiling. His gleaming silver plating would have been beautiful if it wasn't marred by the glaring purple Decepticon badge on his right chestplate. Tap-Out ran a calculating optic over the flexible mesh that fell away from the base of his helm, completely concealing the back and sides of his neck. Surfaces that soft and pliable were usually pretty sensor rich but both sides were branded with the symbol as well, inside and out. A what was it called, a masochist maybe? Under one of his lesser helm spikes a glowing disc sat. The imprisoned mech wondered at that. Usually such things were for temporary pain relief but this was far more complex that a pain chip and looked permanent.

The Autobot was mulling over this when his optic caught the smaller mech accompanying the Seeker and the low growl turned to a snarl. The off yellow mech wasn't much to look at. One of the smaller and more common frames that had belonged to the servant caste back on Cybertron with just enough armor upgrades to look like a Decepticon. He held himself and moved with a certain predatory grace. Red optics in pale yellow faceplates and a perfectly centered Decepticon logo were the only color break on his unremarkable plating. It was the look he had fixed Glyph with the moment he came around the corner that had Tap-Out growling and sliding as close to the bars as he dared. His pale gaze was hungry.

"That one won't be worth much, my lord Alchem," the smaller Decepticon stated in a low oily voice nodding at the huddled form of the femme.

The tall Seeker raised his gaze momentarily from the datapad he was examining and his cold expressionless optics flicked over Glyph. He gave a curt nod and handed the pad to the smaller mech. A disappointed look flashed across the yellow Con's faceplates but he bowed and stepped back. Without preamble the taller mech deactivated the energy bars and stepped into the cell. The Autobot gave a small gasp when his hand rested on her shoulder guard and jerked her helm up.

"Cooperate Autobot," the smaller Con hissed. "Lord Alchem is just going to give you a basic medical scan."

Tap-Out glared but remained quiet as the Seeker calmly ran a series of scans over the femme. Glyph kept her optic band down at first but soon her native curiosity got the better of her and she was eagerly looking the Decepticon over.

'_Please be quiet_,' Tap-Out begged silently wishing their internal comm.s were working, as he saw her faceplates light up with a question.

For a few moments as the Decepticon continued his examination she kept her peace but when he gestured for her to stand the scientist couldn't seem to help herself.

"What is the purpose of the exterior energon lines directly over your spark chamber? I have never seen anything like that. It would seem to present a tempting target in battle. "

The yellow mech gave a warning chirr at that but Alchem's ruby optics only flicked up to her optic band before returning to her backplating. He poked one servo at the blue metal and the femme cried out in pain. Tap-Out narrowed his optics but from what he could tell, and he had seen a lot of field repairs in his day, the Seeker was still being professional. The Autobot had noticed the damage before they had been captured but hadn't realized that his charge had been that badly injured during the seizing of the ship. The Decepticon unloaded a handful of tools from the container he carried and carefully set about repairing the damage that was causing the pain. Glyph craned her helm around curiously trying to follow what he was doing. Tap-Out watched quietly grateful that this medic seemed to lack the usual sadism that ran in the Decepticon ranks; the other one however. The blue mech felt his tanks clench as every time Glyph gave a little whimper of pain the yellow Con's optics lit up. He would be one to watch. But finally the Seeker finished and left the cell to turn on the warrior. Tap-Out consented to the probing and scanning with only a perfunctory growl and the Decepticon administered what little first aid he required if not with gentleness then at least without cruelty. Both Decepticons left and the Autobots were alone again with the hum of the cell bars.

"That was odd," Glyph stated craning her helm to stare after the Seeker.

"What was?" Tap-Out demanded flexing his servos experimentally.

"The Seeker Alchem. He wasn't like I had envisioned a high ranking Decepticon."

"How so?"

"I am not certain what exactly I was expecting," she mused. "He seemed so gentle, not aggressive."

"Don't let him fool you Glyph," the warrior said warningly. "You haven't had the pleasure of interacting with Decepticons before, what with being trapped in a lab or stuck on alien worlds." He agitated his plating to look larger at some memory. "You don't know what they can do."

"So how does that apply to this situation?" the femme asked curiously.

"Don't let your guard down. If a Con is being friendly, or even less evil than usually it is a trap."

"That is a bit of a narrow viewpoint."

"It's one that will keep you alive."

The scientist fluttered her plating meekly in acceptance but Tap-Out groaned inwardly. He knew that look in her optics. Something about the strange Seeker fascinated her, and when something fascinated Glyph she would not leave it alone.

OOO

Things were no doubt getting odder Jazz mused as he slumped listlessly in the middle of the cell. He was feeling much better now that his systems were running at nearly a quarter of normal and had thoroughly mapped out the layout of the base. Not that he would trust the map until he had physically scouted the routes as well but the security in this place was dreadfully lacking for an important Decepticon research facility. Not that that was terribly surprising. Shockwave, for all that he was a formidable warrior when he set his calculations aside, had a history of focusing on his work to the point of ignoring all else. Something the saboteur had made good use of many times before to gather information. In the past Megatron had always made sure to assign a competent security officer to the scientist to make sure he was taken care of, but there was no sign of one in the logs. Starscream was slightly better at this and Jazz could see the Seeker's handiwork in the base defenses but the Decepticon's Vosian thinking showed in that nearly all of his alterations were focused outward at fending off attacks from invaders. He had made few upgrades to the bases internal security.

The base itself was well hidden and secure in its secrecy, Jazz had to admit. It had been carved into an asteroid by some race that had mined this system long ago. It drifted in a class seven asteroid belt in an elliptical orbit around a yellow star with a handful of planets. There was nothing particularly interesting about the system, certainly nothing that would attract Cybertronian notice. Meaning they would have to find their own way off this rock. From the records available in the database the Autobot was unsure if the Decepticons had driven the original inhabitants out or had simply stumbled on the empty rock after they had left. Either way that did explain the odd construction and power grid layout, if not the power usage.

Jazz had easily hacked the general base files and systems but the ones surrounding Shockwave's lab were still a mystery. The computers that ran in the lab were on a completely different system than the rest of the base and heavily shielded from wireless connections. In fact it looked as if that section if the asteroid had been hollowed out and a near completely self contained unit had been installed. The only connection to the rest of the base was the power grid. So far all he had managed to glean was that the one opticed mech was pulling almost enough energy to run a space bridge and at some point in the not too distant past had pulled enough to feed a dying star. To put that much energon into any one project was nearly unheard of in this era of dwindling resources. Something big was going down in this little out of the way base. Something that involved three of the highest ranked Decepticons and from his position in the cell furthest from the mystery lab there was nothing Jazz could do further to investigate.

Once more the mech ran over the security protocols he had found in the base. The well crafted but obvious ones that practically screamed Shockwave. The more cunning but overly focused ones that were clearly Starscream's, and the scattering of individual programs by the lesser Cons. The Autobot was confused that he didn't find a layer of Alchem's handiwork. If half the rumors were true the mech should have been paranoid beyond belief, at the very least far too paranoid to leave his security to mechs the like of Shockwave and Starscream.

Then there was the medical treatment. Jazz frowned as he played the security footage over in his processor. High ranking Decepticons did not tend to the medical needs of low ranking Autobot prisoners. Even the medics, and he used the term loosely, delegated that to assistants. Granted there was no medic listed on the rosters for the base, but still. That little Seeker who had finished up Jazz's work was more than skilled enough to have taken care of Tap-Out and Glyph, probably as good as if not better than the higher ranked flyer. A Con taking an interest in the health and well being of a prisoner was never a good thing in the Ops mech's experience.

Putting that thought on the back burner for now Jazz triggered the sensor loop in his cell and flexed his servos experimentally. With a satisfied grin he arched his back and began a series of limbering exercises. That done he settled back into position and released the loop. He wormed his way back into the security system and waited to see if his little test run had been noticed.


End file.
